Traverse32
Traverse32 is a private New York-based original entertainment company that produces documentary films and long-form brand storytelling for global Fortune 500 brands, now operating as McCann's dedicated original entertainment content unit under founder Brendan Gaul.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Traverse32 does
Traverse32 is a private original entertainment company founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York, operating with 11–50 employees. It produces documentary films and long-form brand storytelling content for major global brands, with a stated focus on creating original intellectual property rather than traditional advertising. Its core offering is human-led documentary production, exemplified by the 17-minute documentary 'THE FINAL COPY OF ILON SPECHT,' co-produced for L'Oréal Paris alongside McCann and Breakwater Studios, which won the Grand Prix in Film and five Lions at Cannes Lions 2025.
The company was founded and is led by Brendan Gaul, who serves as Global President. In August 2025, Gaul relocated Traverse32 from IPG Mediabrands to McCann, where he simultaneously assumed the role of Global Chief Entertainment Officer reporting to McCann's Global CEO. Following this move, Traverse32 functions as McCann's dedicated original entertainment content unit, giving it structural access to McCann's global network and Fortune 500 client base. The business model is project-based content production for enterprise brand clients, with revenue driven by individual documentary commissions and co-productions rather than disclosed recurring contracts or standardized pricing.
The company's value proposition centers on enabling brands to build authentic emotional narratives through long-form documentary content. Its customer base is concentrated in global consumer brands, with L'Oréal Paris as the only named customer in the source data. Strategic partnerships include McCann (parent integration), Breakwater Studios (co-production with two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot), and L'Oréal Paris (commissioning client). The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, or ownership structure beyond Gaul's continued leadership role.
Traverse32 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Traverse32
- Website
- https://traverse32.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Traverse32 is a private New York-based original entertainment company that produces documentary films and long-form brand storytelling for global Fortune 500 brands, now operating as McCann's dedicated original entertainment content unit under founder Brendan Gaul.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Traverse32 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Traverse32 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Traverse32 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Traverse32 is an original entertainment production company that creates documentary films and long-form branded entertainment content for major global brands. The company develops and produces documentary IP in collaboration with advertising agencies (such as McCann) and brand clients (such as L'Oréal Paris), producing emotionally resonant, narrative-driven content that extends brand storytelling beyond traditional advertising formats.
Product overview
TRAVERSE32 is an original entertainment company operating as a single core offering focused on producing documentary content and long-form brand storytelling. The company creates original intellectual property in collaboration with advertising agencies (such as McCann) and brand clients (such as L'Oréal Paris), developing documentary films that honor brand histories and enable deeper consumer engagement through authentic storytelling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- THE FINAL COPY OF ILON SPECHT Documentary A 17-minute documentary film honoring Ilon Specht, the McCann copywriter who coined L'Oréal Paris' iconic 'Because I'm Worth It' slogan in the 1970s. Produced for L'Oréal Paris and co-produced with Breakwater Studios and McCann, it earned the Grand Prix in Film at Cannes Lions 2025 and a total of five Lions awards.
- TRAVERSE32 Original Entertainment Production
Quantifiable outcome
- Documentary 'THE FINAL COPY OF ILON SPECHT' earned 5 Lions at Cannes Lions 2025 including Grand Prix in Film
Companies that use Traverse32
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Traverse32 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Traverse32 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- McCanncoreBrendan Gaul brings TRAVERSE32 into McCann as part of his appointment as Global Chief Entertainment Officer. Gaul continues serving as Global President of TRAVERSE32, which now becomes McCann's original entertainment content unit. This represents a strategic integration of TRAVERSE32's capabilities into McCann's global network, strengthening McCann's brand storytelling and original entertainment content offerings.
- Breakwater StudioscoreBreakwater Studios, led by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, co-produced the award-winning documentary 'THE FINAL COPY OF ILON SPECHT' alongside TRAVERSE32 and McCann for L'Oréal Paris. This collaboration resulted in a Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning documentary.
- L'Oréal PariscoreL'Oréal Paris commissioned and collaborated on the production of the documentary 'THE FINAL COPY OF ILON SPECHT', which won Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025. The documentary honors Ilon Specht, the McCann copywriter who coined the iconic 'Because I'm Worth It' slogan.
- IPG MediabrandsminorTRAVERSE32 originated and operated under IPG Mediabrands before Brendan Gaul brought the company to McCann. Gaul served as Global Chief Entertainment Officer at IPG Mediabrands prior to the transition.
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Traverse32 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Radical Media: Long-form content and documentary production company that produces branded entertainment and commercial films for global brands. Highly comparable to TRAVERSE32 in producing prestige documentary work for Fortune 500 clients.
- Pulse Films: Global production company producing documentary, branded content, and music-driven films for major brands and agencies. Comparable to TRAVERSE32 in the branded documentary and brand storytelling category.
- Dorsey Pictures: Independent documentary production company producing feature docs and branded long-form content for global brands. Direct overlap with TRAVERSE32's branded documentary positioning.
- Smuggler: Award-winning commercial and documentary production company with a global footprint. Comparable to TRAVERSE32 in producing premium documentary and branded content for major consumer brands.
- Chelsea Pictures: Premium commercial and documentary production company with deep brand-client relationships. Comparable in tier, output, and brand storytelling expertise to TRAVERSE32.
- Anonymous Content: Independent production company with both feature film and branded content divisions. Overlaps with TRAVERSE32 in producing high-end documentary and long-form content for global brand clients and agencies.
- Breakwater Studios: Oscar-winning documentary production company led by Ben Proudfoot. Co-produced TRAVERSE32's Cannes Lions-winning documentary and operates in the same branded documentary space with similar client mix.
Broad incumbents
- VICE Studios: Larger content production arm of VICE producing documentary and branded content at scale. Overlaps with TRAVERSE32's branded documentary and brand storytelling work, though operating at substantially greater scale.
- Hogarth (WPP): WPP's global content production network serving brand clients across holding-company agencies. Comparable to TRAVERSE32 in providing production services to global brands, though as a much broader incumbent with scale advantages.
Emerging players
- Great Big Story: Documentary-style content brand producing short-form documentary content for brands and audiences. Comparable to TRAVERSE32 in the branded documentary storytelling category, with a more distribution-oriented model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Traverse32 social profiles
Digital presenceTraverse32 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Traverse32 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Traverse32 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Traverse32 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Traverse32
What does Traverse32 do?
Traverse32 is an original entertainment production company that creates documentary films and long-form branded entertainment content for major global brands. The company develops and produces documentary IP in collaboration with advertising agencies (such as McCann) and brand clients (such as L'Oréal Paris), producing emotionally resonant, narrative-driven content that extends brand storytelling beyond traditional advertising formats.
Is Traverse32 a public or private company?
Traverse32 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Traverse32 founded?
Traverse32 was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Traverse32 based?
Traverse32 is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Traverse32's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Radical Media, Pulse Films, Dorsey Pictures, Smuggler, Chelsea Pictures, Anonymous Content and Breakwater Studios. Broad incumbents are VICE Studios and Hogarth (WPP). Great Big Story is listed as an emerging player.
Does Traverse32 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Traverse32.